Large Scale Manufacturing Continues to Show Positive Growth in FY 2017-18

According to the latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, large-scale manufacturing (LSM) sector posted a 5.52 percent growth in February over the same month in 2017 as infrastructure uplifts boosted cement and steel off-takes, while auto demand continued to increase.

Data showed that non-metallic mineral products, including cement (up 11.3pc), automobiles (7.99pc) and iron and steel products (12.6pc) were the main catalysts of monthly growth in the industrial outputs.

In July-February, the sector, which accounts for 80 percent of manufacturing, increased 6.24 percent, which is in line with the target of 6.3 percent for the current fiscal year of 2017/18.

“The production in July-February 2017/18 as compared to July-February 2016/17 has been significantly increased in food, beverages and tobacco, coke and petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, non-metallic mineral products, automobiles, iron and steel products, electronics and paper and board while decreased in fertilizers and leather products,” PBS said in a statement.

All the three data collection authorities registered an increase in production during February.